New Poll Shows New Hampshire Voters’ Strong Support for Limiting Money in Politics

More than two-thirds of New Hampshire adults support a constitutional amendment to limit campaign contributions and spending, new polling data released today reveals. The statewide poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center on behalf of People For the American Way, Public Citizen, Free Speech For People, and the New Hampshire Coalition for Open Democracy, found that 69% of the state feels that such an amendment should be in place – including majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

The poll also found that 72% of respondents oppose (62% strongly oppose and 10% somewhat oppose) the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which allows corporations to spend an unlimited amount of money to influence elections. The full results of the poll can be found here.

This new data comes on the heels of the recent bipartisan passage in the New Hampshire House of HCR2, a resolution calling on Congress to amend the Constitution to overturn Citizens United by re-establishing the authority of the states and Congress to regulate corporate and special interest election spending. The resolution has moved to the Senate side of the General Court but is being stopped by a new Senate rule requiring a 2/3 supermajority vote to consider House resolutions. Release of the data also coincides with the Coalition for Open Democracy and Public Citizen’s Democracy In Motion Tour, a speaking tour through New Hampshire to get money out and voters in.

“These numbers make it clear that the political will exists to reclaim democracy from corporate and special interest spending – in New Hampshire and around the country,” said Marge Baker, Executive Vice President of People For the American Way. “Voters across the state are speaking out to insist that our democracy is truly of, by, and for the people.”

“This poll shows New Hampshire voters, like most Americans, are fed up with the Citizens United anything-goes approach to money in politics. Six in 10 New Hampshire Republicans, nearly three out of four independents, and nearly eight in ten Democrats support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. That's why 10 Republican Representatives joined Democrats in passing HCR 2 at the State House last month, and why the state Senate should now also heed the will of the voters,” said Peter Schurman, campaign director at Free Speech For People.

“Across party lines, people in New Hampshire and across America agree that corporations have too much political power, that Citizens United was wrongly decided, and that we need a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and restore democracy,” said Jonah Minkoff-Zern, Senior Organizer of Democracy Is For People at Public Citizen. “The only question is: Are the politicians ready to follow the will of the people, rather than the giant campaign spenders?”

“New Hampshire Senators need to pass HCR 2 in the bipartisan way that the House did last month,” said Olivia Zink, Program Director at Coalition for Open Democracy. “This poll shows overwhelmingly that voters support an amendment that will stop the flood of special interest money pouring into New Hampshire.”